The Lost Sound of Music
by Circus4APsycho8
Summary: AU. Prince Cole lives in the kingdom of Ninjago. The kingdom is music-less due to the king's past experiences. But when Cole meets a group of rebels who plan to overthrow King Lou, things start to look up. Cole X Nya. (Slightly crosses over with Skyrim. No Skyrim characters will appear.) Rated T for blood and violence. You don't need to play Skyrim to understand.
1. The Kingdom Of Ninjago

**Hey guys! Here's a new story!**

 **Kai, Nya and Lloyd are related. Lloyd hasn't turned older yet, he is still young. Cole is a prince. Lou is his father and King of Ninjago. :)**

 **I think that's it...enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago, yeah, I know you're sad about that.**

The Sound Of Music

A Ninjago AU Fanfiction

Circus4APsycho8

 **Chapter 1-**

Murmurs of fear were whispered around the kingdom. _The Guardians found another Rebellatis!_ Word had been spread. He had been a smart one, too. Even though he had saved dozens of lives, King Lou was still going to charge him with a felony.

Playing a flute that repelled the Serpentine without any bloodshed whatsoever. The people of Ninjago considered him a hero.

Yet he was still going to be punished by the King.

This definitely got the people's attention. They had lived in silence for over two decades now.

The King even slaughtered all of the birds that dared to share their song with the world.

He was almost heartless. There had been talk of overthrowing him, but never a plan or an assault. The King had them cornered. He was too powerful.

The few who hated King Lou with all of their hearts formed a small group, commonly known as _Superbus Rebellionis_ , which was Latin for 'Proud Rebellion'. No one had ever seen or knew much about them, only that they hated Lou and planned to take him down.

Prince Cole watched as an old man-Wu, yes, that was his name-had handcuffs slapped onto his wrists. He was elderly, and he had a long, white beard. Cole never knew why his father hated the thing they called music was. Heck, he had no idea what it was, really. All he knew was that it was sound and that his father hated it with all of his heart.

He sighed, watching as the old man was pulled away into the prisoner's wagon. What Cole didn't get was if the old man had saved lives, then why did Lou punish him for it?

And what good was it to have Cole watch this man be arrested? He could've been doing something productive with his valuable time. But no, his father had wasted it with an arrest.

Cole, again, wondered why he even called Lou his father. Never in Cole's life had he done anything father-like for Cole. He had always burdened the servants with raising Cole; the King always claimed he was busy with a King's work, but Cole knew it was an excuse to get away from whatever pain Lou had faced when Cole was young.

Snapping back into reality, he shifted in the Royal chair. He hated the Royal chair. It was uncomfortable and purple.

"The man has been arrested?" King Lou asked the Guardian Leader, Ron.

"Yes, your majesty," Ron replied, "he will be sentenced to ten years in the Camp as a warning."

King Lou nodded. "Excellent. You are dismissed." He turned to his son. "Cole, come with me."

Silently, Cole stood up and followed his father, tugging on the collar of his suit. It was too hot out. Why was it that his father made him wear what always countered the weather?!

And that was how Prince Cole thought of his father, and the entire castle: "Let's do what doesn't make sense!" It seemed like there was no such thing as common sense in the castle.

That made him very annoyed with the staff.

When they got back to the castle, Lou turned and faced him.

"Son," he said, "I need you to do a mission for society."

Cole scoffed. "Society?!"

Lou huffed. "The kingdom. You need to gain some experience of the world outside the walls if you're to one day rule this kingdom properly. Thus, I want to send you on a quest to hunt down Superbus Rebellionis."

Cole gaped. "How do you expect me to hunt down a rebellious group that wants to overthrow you?! They have to have some experience with-oh, I don't know-maybe murder! Theft! Violence!"

Lou nodded. "I know you have...lack of any fighting experience, but you know how. That is why I'm sending someone with you."

"Don't ever expect me to do your dirty work! You never helped me or cared about me! So why should I do something you want me to do?!"

Lou sighed, but remained calm. "Son...I know I haven't been a father to you. Your mother died, and I was lost."

Cole gritted his teeth. "No."

He walked away fuming.


	2. Rise Of The Lost Sound

**I'm not happy with this chapter...but meh.**

 **Thank you for reviewing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago, kay?**

The midnight sky, dusted with silver stars, almost seemed to welcome its unusual visitor, who lurked in the shadows beneath.

A woman dressed in a red skirt with black leggings, an armored chest and fishnet-like materials covering her collarbones, shoulders, and arms walked out. Her was dark black, the ends dyed dark blue. Strapped to her back were a silver katana (with The Mechanist's own personal modifications) and a violin bow, the instrument clutched tightly in her hand. She stepped out in a dark forest.

We set the plan into action tonight, she thought.

Her radio buzzed in her other hand.

"Nya? We have everything set up. Are you ready?" asked the voice.

"Go for it," she said.

"Okay. In position."

She grabbed the bow from her back, then held the violin to her shoulder.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Beginning broadcast in three...two...one..."

So with that, Nya raised the bow and began playing.

\\\

He could've sworn...

Cole sat up in his bed and listened...

...a sound...

...a beautiful sound...

...he got up. He crept out of his bed and slightly cracked his window.

So he wasn't imagining it. It was a sweet, smooth sound, moving up and down occasionally. He strained to hear more, but he figured he must be too far away.

He glanced behind him. His father wasn't up yet. That meant the guards probably hadn't been disturbed.

This was his chance, to go. Get away from the kingdom.

Get answers.

The best way to escape would be to exit through the hidden passageways his father had built for him. Quickly, Cole changed into the clothes in which were in the poorest condition: a pair of raggy brown pants and a holey dull green shirt that was a bit tight for him. He grabbed a pair of run-down shoes and trotted over to the book case.

He selected a faded blue book, and pulled on it. The book case moved down into the floor, allowing Cole to access the door behind it.

With that, he was off.

\\\

He managed to escape the castle without any trouble.

Now, the only problems were the guards. If they saw Cole, they'd alert the king, and Cole would be punished.

Carefully, he snuck from his hiding place in the perfectly trimmed bushes and crept past an unsuspecting group of guards. He dove behind a wall, then sighed with relief. They hadn't noticed him.

"Prince?"

 _Overlord._

He whipped around to face a female guard.

He couldn't find any words; all he could do was stare at her with a shocked face.

She gave a small smile. "You needn't worry. As long as you promise to stay out of trouble, I won't tell the king. A young man such as yourself needs some time away from the pressure."

His chest was drained of his tension and filled with sheer relief.

"Thank you, ma'am. What is your name?"

"Cher," she replied.

"Thank you, Cher. I won't let this go unnoticed. I promise to stay out of trouble." He smiled at her, then he ran off into the night.

\\\

By following the sound as it grew louder and louder with each step, he came upon a clearing.

He sank to his knees, and peeked around a bush.

There was the source of the sound:

...a fair, young maiden. She had long, black hair with the tips dyed blue, and she wore a red skirt and black leggings, silver armor guarding her chest...

...Cole found himself blushing as the maiden played her...instrument (was that what they were called? Cole wondered).

She was beautiful.

Her face was dully illuminated by the moonlight, her features young and soft. He found himself in a trance, gazing at her sleek figure twisting in the dim light.

Eventually, her wonderful noise came to an end, and she set the instrument on the ground.

Cole decided to make his presence known. He stood and he walked behind her.

"...M-ma'am?"

She whipped around, shock written all over her face.

"Please," he said, attempting to calm her, "I am not going to hurt you."

The girl took a hesitant step back.

"W-who are you?"

"My name is Cole," he said, taking a cautious step forward.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was listening to your music," he answered, "it was beautiful."

For a moment, Cole doubted his father's reasoning for forbidding the lovely sound...

What was the king's reasoning? Cole wondered.

"Thank you." She smiled. It was absolutely breath taking. "I'm Nya, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Nya." He stuck out his hand. She stepped forward and shook his hand.

"Wait..." she frowned. "You-you're the-"

"Prince, yes, that I am,"

She backed away from him, touching something residing on her back. "The king sent you to hunt us down, didn't he?!"

Cole shook his head. "No, Nya, I-I disagree with my father, now that I've heard your...music. It's beautiful and shouldn't be locked away from the world..."

She looked deep into his eyes, not sure whether to believe him or not.

"I-I can't trust you," she said. "not yet, anyway." Nya glanced worriedly behind her, as if looking for someone. "I have to g-go now,"

Cole stepped up to her a little too fast. She flinched when he reached out to touch her arm.

"Will...will I ever see you again, Nya?"

She took a deep breath, eyes curious and worried.

"I...I don't know. Probably, but don't count on it."

She turned and ran away, leaving Cole in the now dawning light of the rising sun.

 **Okay, I had to add the classic "Will I ever see you again?" I felt like that phrase just kind of _belonged_ in that sentence.**

 **Meh. See yah. Pwease review. ^-^**


	3. Proof

**Hello, fellow Ninjaz!**

 **So...I guess you could say Nya is the...hmm...Lindsey Stirling of the group. Yeah.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago.**

Cole was stunned from the encounter. He was tempted to follow her, but he didn't.

He knew he should get back to the castle; the sun was rising over the horizon. His father would get suspicious if he was caught.

Although, Cole wondered if he would ever see the young maiden-Nya-again. He felt a small hand tug at his heart, but he decided to let it be.

Jogging back through the woods, his mind was filled with thoughts.

He reached the Castle a few minutes before his father woke up.

He raced up the stairs to the hidden passageway. He managed to get to his room and change back into his pajamas right as one of the assistant chefs came in.

"Good morning, Prince Cole. I see you are already up?"

"Umm..." Cole took a deep breath. "yes. I was...watching the sunrise. Beautiful, isn't it?"

The chef nodded. "Your breakfast is ready whenever you are, sir." He backed out of the room and shut the door.

Cole sighed in relief, then plopped down on his bed. He couldn't get his mind off of Nya.

He turned to face the window. The sun rose in pinks, yellows, oranges and reds.

A small smile formed on his face, then he headed downstairs, not bothering to change yet.

[ { } ]

"Ah, yes! I heard. We'll find the rebels soon, my Lord," said a guard Cole recognized as Cher. She turned to walk out, and eyed Cole. She smiled and winked.

"Please do, and I will pay you accordingly. You are dismissed, guard." Lou huffed and glared at Cole's tousled hair.

"Father, what's going on?" Cole asked.

"You mustn't come down looking like that," Lou said, "son. We've talked about this."

Cole groaned. "Come on, father, I'll change after breakfast."

Lou stiffened, then Cole sat down at the opposite end of the dining table. He grabbed a plate and helped himself to buttered toast and sizzling bacon.

Lou gave an exasperated sigh, then said: "You know, what, son?"

Cole looked up at the king with a mouthful of bacon.

"You desperately need a wife."

Cole choked.

Lou smirked.

When Cole recovered, he looked up at Lou and grinned.

"Y'know, father," he said, "that I do not want to be king of Ninjago."

The King of Ninjago stood. "Yes, but you have no choice. The people need you."

Cole shook his head. "No, father! I do not wish to discuss this any further!" He stormed upstairs, then fell onto his bed.

Everything seemed so fake to him. This Castle, his bed, all of the clothes he owned...it was all fake.

The outdoors seemed so much more real to him.

He desperately wanted to leave the castle. Find Nya. Start a life outside, far away from the kingdom...

[ { } ]

"You WHAT?!"

Nya cringed. "He seemed nice..."

Kai threw his hands up in the air. "He must've been a spy, sent by the king-"

Nya shushed him. "He-he said he enjoyed my music, and that he disagreed with his father," she said.

"IT WAS THE PRINCE?!" Kai yelled.

"Yes! Or, at least he said he was-"

"Oh, Overlord. This is the end." Kai said.

"What's wrong?" A little voice asked. "What're you guys fighting about?"

Nya and Kai's faces softened at the source of the voice.

"It's nothing, Lloyd." Kai assured his youngest sibling.

Lloyd wrinkled his face up. "Stop lying!"

Nya fluffed his hair.

"Nya _aaa_ aaaa!" Lloyd groaned.

She laughed. "Sorry, pipsqueak."

The Mechanist walked in, along with Misako, the leading medic.

"What's all the fuss about?" she asked.

"Nya ran into the Prince last night!" Kai yelled.

"I don't think he's a threat, though-" Nya started.

"That's what they want you to think!" Kai said.

"Hush, with all of that racket, you're bound to get us all killed," The Mechanist said.

Kai rolled his eyes, then looked back at Nya. She was getting ready, strapping her katanas to her back.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Lloyd yelled.

"I'm going to go see if the Prince really is a threat or not. I'll be back before sunset," she said.

"What?! No!" Kai yelled.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'll be fine!" She pivoted on her heel and ran out into the forest.

Lloyd sighed and allowed himself to be picked up by his brother.

"Is Nya crazy?" He wondered aloud.

Everyone laughed.

"Depends on what your definition of crazy is," The Mechanist responded.

[ { } ] **(A Few Hours Later...)**

Cole sighed.

He heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he yelled.

The door screeched open. Cole turned around to see Cher and the head chef, Zane, at the doorway.

"We'd like to speak to you in private," she said, "someone is here to see you."

Cole frowned, then followed the two. They walked down to the outskirts of the forest.

"Who might this visitor be?" He asked.

"I wanted to know if you're really on our side," a voice said.

Cole turned around, but no one was there.

"Up here, dummy."

He looked up to find her perched on a tree branch.

"Nya?" He asked, his heart fluttering.

She smiled down at him.

"Hello, Prince."

Cole grinned. "You called me a dummy."

Nya laughed. A beautiful laugh, Cole noticed. A laugh that warmed him inside.

"Yes, I did. Aw, is the wittwe pwince offended?" She teased.

It was Cole's turn to laugh.

"Enough lollygagging, you two. We have business to attend to."

The two blushed.

"Um, anyway," she smiled, crossing her legs, "are you truly against your father's wishes?"

"I am, yes," he said.

She tilted her head. "Then prove it to me. A man was arrested a while ago, by the name of Wu. Have you heard of him?"

Cole nodded.

"Free him from the prison, then meet back here at noon Friday, accompanied by him." She grinned. "And then we'll talk. If you're not here at noon, I will not waste my time."

She hopped down from the tree and walked up to him, then whispered in his ear:

"I truly hope you are on our side."

Then, she turned and walked away.

 **My favorite part: "Up here, dummy." XD**

 **Please review! :D**


	4. Macaroni 'N' Cheese & Rosemary Chicken

**Wow! Thank you guys for reviewing! It made my day!**

 **(This story won't have any Elder Scrolls characters in it)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago or the Elder Scrollz**

Cole shuddered. Break the old man out of the prison. That didn't seem too hard.

"Are you up for the task, Prince?" asked Cher, snapping Cole out of his trance.

"I think so. What will it take?"

She smirked. "It's heavily guarded. They don't allow residents of the kingdom in the dungeons."

Cole bit his lip. He wasn't so sure now.

"Don't worry, Prince. I can teach you a few things about fighting, if you wish. We'll help you."

Cole nodded. "I don't think I'll be able to do this on my own."

"I can try to help as well, but my expertise lie in cooking, not in fighting." Zane said.

"Very well. I will train the both of you to the best of my ability in the limited time we have. Which is...a week from today. Come, boys, we haven't time to waste. Prince, I shall devise an excuse to please your father."

"Okay," the Prince said.

"Alright, boys, let's move out."

[ { } ]

[Back At The Castle]

Cher knelt down behind a bush in the inner courtyard. "Go on about your daily duties, and meet me in the kitchen at eight o'clock tonight."

Cole and Zane nodded.

"And not a word about this to anyone."

"Okay," the two boys nodded, then parted ways.

[ { } ]

Cole crept up the hidden stairwell and reached his room.

He tugged onto the lever that activated the false wall to his room. Reluctantly, it slid open and Cole stepped through.

"Son! Where have you been?!"

He froze in place. King Lou stood in front of his bed with a deadly expression on his face.

"Son! You have five seconds to start explaining!"

"I-um-I was...um..." He racked his brain for a believable excuse.

"You were what?!"

"I...there was...there was a...a girl."

King Lou raised an eyebrow.

"I was out near the stables to get a horse and I was going to go for a stroll, but I saw a girl. She was absolutely beautiful, so...so I offered to take her for a walk."

Lou's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh, son, that is excellent! You have already found a queen!"

Cole tensed. "Y-yeah."

"I must meet her. When?"

He froze again, then answered: "In about three weeks."

Lou walked over to him. "This is great. I'll go ahead and let you know I'm expecting marriage within a few months and at least seven grandchildren!"

Cole shivered. "Um, okay...but I think that's a little...early."

He patted Cole on his shoulder. "Well done, son. Well done."

Cole nodded and forced a smile. "Th-thanks dad."

King Lou grinned. "Yes. I will be in my bedroom if anyone needs me. I hereby excuse you from any punishment I was about to assign you." He walked out triumphantly.

Cole breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed on his bed. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Only four o' clock.

He stood up, wondering what he should do to pass the time.

He decided to go down to the kitchen and talk to Zane.

Padding down the marble steps, he heard whispers.

"I hear the Prince has fallen in love..."

"Do you think he and his queen will rule better than King Lou?"

"Oh, I hope so..."

Cole shivered again. He could only hope Nya had a plan that involved him getting the heck out of Ninjago before the King found out the truth...

...but on the bright side, there was now a higher chance Cole could get out of the Castle without raising the King's suspicion. But if Cole made any mistakes that he couldn't recover from...

He shook his head. He couldn't think like that.

"Zane?" He asked once he got down the kitchen.

"Prince? How may I serve you?" Zane asked.

Cole sighed. "I'm just bored. Lonesome. I'd like to talk to someone my own age."

Zane's face faltered. "I'm not trying to disrespect you, Prince, but we mustn't talk about...that in the castle."

Cole nodded. "Then let's not." He raised his voice. "Why don't you teach me how to make your famous rosemary chicken?"

Zane smiled, then nodded. "First, wash your hands."

[ { } ]

Nya stopped for a moment to rest on a tree stump. She had been travelling back home for hours.

She giggled at the thought of Cole's confused expression when she had called him a dummy. His dimples had shown when his mouth turned grim. His dimples were adorable.

She opened an empty flask and walked over to a little stream. She filled up the flask.

Tucking the flask away in her knapsack, she rested another minute.

It was approaching sunset. Around six thirty. The sky was a collage of pinks, oranges, reds, and yellows.

She sighed. Kai usually started to worry around this time.

Standing up, she began walking again.

"Is that you, Nya?"

She turned around, only to be faced with her little brother.

"Lloyd! What are you doing out here this late?! Someone could hurt you!"

He shrugged, unconcerned. "I was getting worried about you."

She shook her head. "I can take care of myself. Don't ever come out by yourself again! You hear me?"

He groaned and nodded, allowing his big sister to pick him up.

"I love you, Nya." He said softly.

"I love you too, Lloyd." She patted his back and his eyes drooped.

A few minutes later, they reached the headquarters. Kai ran out.

"Nya! Are you okay? Where were you? And why is Lloyd with you?!"

Nya sighed. "I'm fine, I was out, and Lloyd came looking for me on his own. Why weren't you watching him?!"

Kai shook his head and fluffed Lloyd's hair. He didn't notice.

"Come on. Dinner's almost ready." He welcomed his younger siblings inside.

Nya took Lloyd into his bedroom and gently set him on his bed. She pulled the covers over him, and was about to leave when he groggily opened his eyes.

"Nya?"

"Hm?"

"Will you tell me a story?"

She smiled softly. "Of course."

Sitting down on his bed, he remained under the covers. Nya thought for a moment.

"Okay," she said, "Once Upon A Time, there was a woman named Maya. She was part of the Imperial race, and she was about to be executed one day in the village of Helgen. She laid her head onto some wood, and her head was about to be chopped off when there was a loud roar of...a dragon, which some people thought were only legends. The dragon attacked the village of Helgen, and Maya managed to escape her deadly fate. She escaped Helgen, then continued onto the city of Whiterun, where she met people who wanted to slay the dragon. She was sent on a dangerous quest to find a Dragonstone, which could reveal more information about why dragons were suddenly coming back.

"She found the stone, and in the process, learned something called a Shout, although she didn't know that yet. So when she returned to Dragonsreach in Whiterun, she gave the Dragonstone to a wizard, who would study it for more information. She was asked to help slay the dragon that attacked Helgen. It attacked a matter of moments later, destroying the watchtower of Whiterun, so she headed down there and slayed the dragon.

"Although, something that the guards and Maya were not expecting happened! When Maya finished off the dragon, there was bright, colorful light extracting itself from its corpse, and it planted itself into Maya!"

"Whoa!" Lloyd cried, eyes now wide.

"And, with that, the guards realized she was something called-'Dragonborn'. If a person is Dragonborn, they naturally understand the tongue of dragons and can Shout words, giving humans awesome power!"

"That sounds awesome!" Lloyd said, slamming his hands onto the bed for emphasis.

Nya giggled. "It is."

"Wait, so what kind of powers does she have?"

"All kinds!" Nya said. "I don't know all of them. There's so many."

"Whoaaaa," Lloyd said. "I wish I was Dragonborn!"

Nya smiled. "Maybe you are. Who knows, right?"

Lloyd wrinkled his nose. "But dragons don't exist anymore!"

Nya raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that what Maya thought?"

Lloyd's eyes widened again.

"It's rare, but still possible. Alright, pipsqueak, good night."

"Good night, Nya."

She chuckled and closed the door behind her.

Kai was waiting for her. "What story did you tell him?"

"The one about Maya." Nya closed her eyes and smiled.

"Don't give him any false hope." He said.

"False hope is better than no hope. False hope might drive him to do better."

Kai rolled his eyes. "If you think so." He sighed. Nya hugged him.

"Did you find the Prince?"

Nya nodded and sat down to her homemade mac 'n' cheese and sprinkled a little bit of salt on it.

"What happened?" The Mechanist asked and sat down with them. He wasn't wearing his mask for once; his coppery red hair was all messed up and his freckled face was showing. His eyes were electric blue.

"So, when I went, he showed up with two other people and they agreed to break Wu out."

"Really?" Misako asked, walking into the room.

"Mmm-hmm," Nya said, shoving a forkful of macaroni into her mouth. "Oh my Overlord, this is delicious, Misako!"

She chuckled. "Thank you, Nya dear."

"No, thank you!"

"What happened after that?"Kai asked.

"He agreed, then they went off."

"That's it?" Jay-The Mechanist- asked.

"Yeah." Nya said, chewing.

"What does he look like?" Misako asked, sliding into the seat next to Jay.

"He has charcoal black hair that's always kinda tousled, and he has dark green eyes and little dimples in his cheek." Nya answered, in a trance.

"Ah-huh," Misako said, smiling at the teenage girl, "he certainly sounds cute."

"He is!" Nya exclaimed.

"Overlord..." Kai muttered.

Misako smiled a soft smile, her silver hair gleaming in the oncoming moonlight.

Nya finished her bowl of macaroni. "May I have another bowl?"

 **Aww!**

 **Please review!**


	5. The Base

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry, but the writer's block has been real. :(**

 **Okay, hopefully next chapter will have Nya in it. This chapter is boring, but I wanted to give you all something. I plan to update this again tomorrow, so look out for that!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago.**

Cole and Zane rushed to their designated area and waited for Cher to show up. It was nearing eight o' clock, and Cole was a bit nervous.

"Are you nervous at all?" Cole asked.

"Yes," Zane replied, "a little bit. Are you?"

Cole nodded, then lowered his voice. "Yes, but I'm desperate to join the Rebellion."

Zane nodded. "So am I," he responded.

The boys were silent for a few minutes until they heard the clink of Cher's metal armor. She stepped into the room armed with a sword resting on her waist. It jingled against the metal of her armor as she stepped towards them.

"We're all here," she stated, "alright. Let's get to work."

{ [ ] }

Cher guided the boys to the little farm she lived in. It was out in the country side of Ninjago. The little plantation was surrounded by trees, and there was a little stream running past a field of crops.

"This is my home," Cher announced, "I live here with my two children. My husband is usually here, but he's out of town for the next few weeks. Here, come," she beckoned them to the little stream.

"The opening to my secret passageway is through there." she pointed into the water. "Your first test is simple: get inside." She smiled. "Since this is your first test, I will allow you two to work together, and I will give you a hint if you begin to struggle." She removed her sword and set it along the grass. She took off her chest plate and her gauntlets. Then, she removed her thigh and shin guards. "Your test begins now."

Cole nodded. "Okay. This should be simple. Right, Zane?"

His white-haired friend nodded, even though he looked a bit concerned.

Cole took off his shirt and remained in his pants, then he jumped into the icy water. The current was stronger than he expected, and he was swept away until he finally got used to it.

Cher had settled on the grass, ankles crossed. "Problem Number One: the current is strong."

Zane removed his shirt and threw it next to Cole's. "Let me try." He jumped in, then he disappeared under the water for a few moments. Then, his head popped back up.

"I've found it!" Zane yelled to Cole. Cole paddled over to Zane and ducked beneath the water.

For a moment, all Cole could see was blurry, but when his eyes adjusted to the water, he saw a little black trap door. Intricate little engravings covered it, and it appeared to be made out of stone. There were three little circles on it; each was decorated with engravings of a fish, a bird, and a serpent. It appeared you could turn each one.

Cole resurfaced to suck in a breath of air. He turned to Zane.

"It's some kind of puzzle," Zane said. "The animals have to be in a certain order for the door to be unlocked."

Cole frowned. "So what's the order that the animals go in?" Cole asked.

"Here is your hint!" Cher yelled to them. "The solution has been engraved somewhere where reflections occur most. That is all." Cher closed her eyes and smiled.


	6. The Base Part 2 & Fear

**What is up everybody?!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago**

"What?" Cole asked.

Zane frowned. "As in an object with a reflective surface?" A puzzled Zane asked.

"It's up to your own interpretation." Cher responded.

Cole racked his brain. A place where reflections occurred most...

"Maybe it's more off a figurative kind of answer." Cole blurted.

"I do not follow..." Zane said.

"Well, first of all, she used the plural form of reflection, which, if we're speaking figuratively here, would reference many reflections, like a group of people. To me, that means it's figurative just for that reason. The next thing is she used the word 'where', as in a place rather than an actual object, which rules out anything with a reflective surface."

"But if is a place, then nothing could be engraved on it simply because the place is not an object." Zane pointed out.

Cole nodded. "Then maybe there's an object inside the place!" Cole realized excitedly.

"So if that is the case, then where is this place?" Zane asked.

Cole thought for a minute, then said: "Let's pretend you made a big mistake. You correct it, but afterwards, you want to reflect somewhere...somewhere peaceful. Calm. Quiet. Where would you go?"

Zane frowned. "Depending on the season, I'd go...Id go to the woods. Deep in the woods."

Cole nodded. "Exactly! Come on!"

The two ran to the outskirts of the farm, where the trees began to replace grass.

"If this is the place she's talking about," Cole said, "then the solution must be carved into a tree!"

So, together, the two boys examined each tree. Darting from tree to tree with no luck, they were just about to give up when Zane spotted an opening.

"Cole! You must come look at this! It appears to be a ruin to an old building. There were fallen pillars everywhere, three of which had an engraving of a serpent, a fish, and a bird.

"Here it is!" Cole said. "Nice job. Okay, so the order is serpent, fish, then the bird!"

Then, they ran out of the forest in a hurry, both repeating the order of animals under their breath. When they reached the stream, Zane wasted no time in jumping in. Cole followed, then Zane turned the dials in the order the pillars were in.

When he resurfaced, Cole dragged him onto land and the three of them stepped back.

"Well done, boys," Cher commented, "you've passed your first test. Much faster than I expected. This first test tells me a lot about you two. But we'll discuss that later," she smiled, "follow me."

... ... ... ...

"How long did you give him to break out Wu?" Kai asked.

"A week. He's supposed to meet me at the same spot on Friday at noon sharp."

Kai nodded, sliding next to her on the sofa. She curled up next to her big brother.

"I've been scared for the upcoming war. I fear especially for Lloyd," Nya whispered, her eyes distant and glassy, "what if we get caught? What will they do to us? What...what will they do to Lloyd?"

Kai hugged his little sister.

"Nothing is going to hurt us or him. We're going to win this war. Together."

She shivered. "I'm so scared, Kai!"

He held her tighter as she curled up in a ball and cried on his chest. He rocked her gently and didn't loosen his grip on her.

... ... ...

Cher led the boys to a patch of grass.

"Where is it?" Cole asked.

"When the correct solution to that puzzle is entered," Cher began, "three metal bars that run underground from the stream to this patch of grass slide back, allowing the faux grass," she held a foot above a patch of grass, "to be revealed when pressure is applied." She put her foot down and pushed the grass, and like a trap door, it collapsed like it was attached to a set of hinges. It was about three feet by three feet. Cher jumped into the hole while yelling "follow meeeeee"!

The boys exchanged hesitant glances. Cole shrugged, then jumped in.

What he thought was a free fall transformed into a...a water slide? Cole couldn't tell. He was moving so fast and yelling so loudly he couldn't tell what was going on.

Eventually, he crashed to a stop. He sat up, only to be crashed into by Zane. The boys skittered to a halt with Cole on top of Zane. They groaned.

"My apologies, Prince." Zane said.

Cole rolled off of the cook and helped him up.

"It's okay, Zane." Cole turned to Cher. "That was awesome!"

Zane smiled. "That was quite...enjoyable."

"See? Just trust me, guys!" Cher pulled the boys to their feet and smiled. She threw her hands up, gesturing to the room around them. "Welcome to my secret hideout!"

Cole looked around in awe. They were standing in a huge cavern. There were three floors, which appeared to be made out of stone, supported by giant wooden pillars. The ceiling was also stone, but it was dotted with little bits of blue. The floor was stone, but it looked to be covered with a layer of translucent marble. The first floor was accompanied with a large kitchen and a few tables. The second floor had a few doors that were closed. The third floor appeared to be closed off, and was packed with boxes of all shapes and sizes. There was a big, white ball attached to a thick wire in the middle of the ceiling that provided light to the entire cavern.

"Wow!" Cole said, bewildered at the sight. "This is amazing! I've never seen anything like this before!"

"This is absolutely fascinating!"

Cole laughed, sucking in a deep breath. Even though he was soaking wet and shivering violently, he felt more alive than he had ever felt before.

"Thank you. It was built years ago, before I was born. It was built by my father, who believed that one day, the Reballatis would overthrow the king. He wanted the future generations of his family to have a safe place to go to if war ever broke out."

Still trying to process the entire cavern, Cole was caught in a trance.

"Anyway, come, boys." She guided them to a staircase, and they went up to the second floor.

"I'll assign you both a room, so if you ever need a place to stay, you're more than welcome to come here." She said. She shifted her gaze to the boys, then pointed at the last two doors on the left. "I'll let you two work out who gets which room. I will give you twenty minutes to get familiar with the base, the layout and your rooms, then we'll begin training. The only rules are one: always push that orange button over there when you come down the water slide. It will reset the solution dials. And, two: please don't go up to the third floor. I only use that for storage."

The two nodded.

"I don't know about you two," she said, "but I'm famished. I'll go prepare dinner. Make yourselves at home." She walked away and disappeared down the staircase.

"This is amazing!" Cole said, walking towards one of the assigned rooms. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open. Inside was a room with a twin sized bed and white-painted walls. There was a small desk on one wall and a smaller dresser on the other side. The other room was exactly the same, except it was painted orange and black.

"Which one do you want?" Cole asked.

"I don't mind." Zane responded.

Cole shrugged. "I'll take the orange and black one."

Zane nodded, smiling. "That is fine. White is my favorite color, anyway." They both split up, disappearing into their rooms.

 **Okay, I hope the CoNya fluff will begin after the next three chapters. That's my prediction.**

 **Review?!**


	7. Pondering & Training

**Yo! Wow, thank you all for your amazing reviews!**

 **Okay, I know this chapter is short, but I hope I can make up for that next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago.**

"You must be lighter on your feet, Cole. That is what is tripping you up. Move lightly, do not...pound the ground with your feet. Nice, slow movements that originate from the hip are what we're looking for."

"What?" Cole asked. The trio had been training for hours with no luck so far.

Cher tapped Cole's hip.

"Move your hip, then make your leg move with it. It's...odd, at first, but you get used to it." She paused. "You've been swimming. Think about it like this: when you kick in the water, you use your knee. But, if you use your whole leg, you'll be able to move faster."

"But I am moving my whole leg!" Cole protested.

"Maybe," Cher started, "but you use your knees more."

Cher walked over to Zane. He was faring better, but was also having trouble.

"Okay, boys," Cher sighed, then thought. These boys were practically unteachable. She chuckled. But she'd manage...somehow.

"Let's try something else." Cher bit her lip, trying to think of something that would do them well for the break out. She paced for a few minutes while Cole and Zane shot each other curious glances.

"How about this?" Cher asked. "You two should start studying the layout of the prison. It gets pretty confusing in there. It'd do you two good if we get separated."

Cole sighed. "This is going to be hard. Have you ever patrolled in the prison before?"

Cher nodded. "I drew up a layout of the entire prison. Here." She walked to a box located on the table and pulled out two sheets of paper. She distributed them amongst the boys and then put her hands on her hips.

"I recommend you study, if not, memorize it."

Zane smiled.

"What's so funny?" Cole asked.

"I have a photographic memory." Zane replied.

Cole groaned. "I don't!"

Cher smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Just become familiar with it. You can take it with you when we go to the prison."

Cole sighed in relief, causing Cher to laugh.

"We have a lot of work to do, boys, and this may seem impossible, but, trust me. I've patrolled in the prison, and it won't be as bad as you think."

"If you say so." Cole responded, observing the paper. Cher sighed.

"It's getting late. And, if your father asks, you were at etiquette class." She said, pointing at Cole. He nodded.

"Alright. I suppose we should get going." Cole said. Cher looked up at Cole.

"Zane, if you don't mind heading back up, I need to speak to Cole a moment." She said, pointing to a hallway.

"Oh, of course." Zane sped-walked away.

Cher turned to Cole with a smile-or was it a smirk? Cole wondered-and she placed her hands on her hips.

"You've taken a shine on that girl, haven't you?"

Cole turned beet red, averting his eyes, sputtering out partial words, and tugging at the collar of his shirt.

"Oh, dear Prince. It's so obvious."

Cole gave up, sighing. "Fine. Am I really that obvious?"

She nodded. "The next time you see her, you may want to make a move." She chuckled. "Now go."

* * *

Cole flopped onto his bed. There wasn't anything fun to do in the castle. It was all work and no fun. He rubbed his face. The past week had been so...so...full of information. He was having trouble processing it all.

He rolled onto his side. He missed the young maiden. He wondered if he'd be able to break the old man out of jail. If it was even possible. Closing his eyes, he pictured the old man. Dark, wise eyes and a magnificent, flowing beard. He'd held a staff and a flute.

After a few minutes of pondering, he wondered why his father even banned music in the first place. All he knew was that it had something to do with his mother. His father refused to tell him anymore.

His thoughts roamed to training. There was no way he'd be able master whatever fighting style Cher knew by the end of the week. He might be able to block a punch, or hit. He wouldn't be completely defenseless.

Bored, he stood, and began to practice the moves Cher had taught him.

He did this for the next two nights.

* * *

A few days later, Cher noticed considerable improvement in both boys. Cole seemed to have taken her advice and was now moving much more fluidly.

"Much better, boys." Cher said. "I think we're about ready." She tapped her finger on her thigh.

"What now? More practice?" Cole asked.

Cher held up a finger. Both of the boys remained silent.

"No," she responded, "if we really want to get in with the rebellion...then let us break out the old man tonight."

 **Ooooh...okay, I know this seems a bit rushed, but...I really want to get to the CoNya flufff!**


	8. Preparation

**YELLO!**

Despite Cher's pleas, both boys refused a weapon. They had pointed out that two armed boys from the castle walking around the dungeons at midnight would be strange. That wasn't the only reason; Zane and Cole both did not want to use a weapon. They hoped that it wouldn't come down to that.

They'd be heading down at midnight, Cher decided. There would be the least amount of patrols on duty then, and as an added bonus it would be dark. Cher was used to patrolling in the prison in the dark.

Even though Cher was excited to work with the boys and join the Rebellion, they were full of never-ending questions. Cher was growing attached to them, but for some reason, she hated questions. Questions were good, and Cher was normally good at answering questions. She just despised answering questions.

"So, how long will we be down there?" Cole asked.

"Well, if nothing has changed from my last patrol, then, I'm thinking around an hour or so." She replied.

"Where will the patrols be stationed at?" Zane wondered.

Cher pulled out a map, then she set it on the table. She pointed at a long, narrow rectangle, then drew a long line down the middle. "Here, they'll be patrolling the entire hallway, because that hallway is where all of the prisoners are held."

"Is there a picture or a drawing of the prisoner we are freeing? I don't want to free the wrong person."

Cher chuckled. "You won't need a picture. He's an elderly man with a long white beard. You'll know him when you see him." She looked at Cole. "You have seen him, correct?"

"Yes. I should recognize him when I see him." Cole agreed.

"Well, we have a few hours." Cher sighed. "How about you two take the evening off? It won't help you two to worry all evening." She smiled lightly. "I need to go check on my children. Meet me back here at eleven-thirty sharp."

The boys nodded, then turned to each other when she left.

"What should we do?" Zane asked.

"Hm," Cole responded, "are you up for a game of Fist to Face?"

Zane frowned. "Oh, yes. The board game?"

Cole nodded, then they walked to Cole's room.

* * *

"I've installed a few modifications to your katana, so it should work against spirits, demons, and almost anything else in between, too." Jay said, handing Nya her katana blade.

"Cool! Thank you, Jay." She said, running her frail fingers along the length of the blade.

"No problem." He took off his mask, revealing his coppery hair and his freckles. He gave her his signature dorky smile. She grinned.

"Hey, guys," Kai entered the room, "you need to come see this. We have a problem."

Nya turned towards her older brother. "What is it?"

"Misako spotted a royal patrol near the outskirts of the forest," he said, "we need to keep an eye on them."

Nya nodded. "What's our first move?"

"If they make it to the stream, we'll hide. Misako and Lloyd are getting the house ready in case they get too close." Kai sighed.

Nya shivered. "I hope they stay where they are."

Kai nodded. "So do I. But we're preparing just in case they get too close for comfort."

Nya bit her lip, and decided to change the subject. "Um...where's Lloyd?"

"He's in the cellar with Misako." Kai responded.

"Is he okay?" Nya asked.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "He's been...quiet. I'm not sure why."

Nya slid into a wooden chair. Lloyd hadn't been acting like himself lately, and the siblings weren't sure why. Kai hovered next to her.

"He's probably scared," he said.

Nya set her chin in the palm of her hand. "I think he misses Wu."

Kai tilted his head. "That's probably it."

Nya let her hand fall, then she stood up. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

"Okay."

She made her way to the cellar. She opened the trap door that led to a ladder.

Nya shivered. She didn't like it down here, it was always cold and dusty. Her bare feet slapped the concrete stairs. The trap door closed behind her, and another chill crept up her spine. The stairway was pitch black, and she had to test each step she took. She cursed herself for not bringing her shoes.

Carefully, she made her way to the end of the stairway, where there was a large steel door which was intricately carved with symbols and pictures.

She touched the door, tracing the cool metal beneath her fingertips. She pulled the door open and stepped inside.

It was a huge bunker, originally built in case of an attack. She pushed the door closed and looked around.

The walls were painted a faded red, and the room was illuminated by a small lantern located on a crate positioned by a set of bunk beds in the corner. There were a few dressers, and there was a large closet which contained a few months' supply of canned food. Across the hall was a small kitchen, and diagonal to that were three hallways, one of which was an escape tunnel.

"Lloyd?" She called, walking to one of the tunnels. "Misako?"

"Nya?" She turned to find Lloyd perched on the top of one of the bunk beds, a book in his hands. He lay on his stomach with his chin resting on his hands and his feet in the air.

"There you are," Nya said, "we've been looking for you!"

He shrugged. "Sorry. I was helping Misako."

Nya frowned. "Where is Misako?"

"In there," he pointed to the food closet. "she's getting the food organized." His little brows knitted together. "Why were you looking for me?"

She climbed up to the top bunk next to the one he was perched on. "I wanted to talk to you."

His eyebrows remained scrunched. "About what?"

She reached across the gap between the bunk beds and took his hand. "You seem a little sad. Are you okay?"

Sadness filled his red eyes. "I just miss Wu. When will he be back?"

Nya bit her lip. "If everything goes as planned, then hopefully by this weekend."

He grinned. "Yay!"

Nya giggled, then squeezed his hand. "Come on, pipsqueak. Let's go get Kai."

* * *

"I win again."

"You're cheating!" Cole exclaimed, throwing down his wooden avatar. "I'm awful at this game!"

Zane chuckled, setting his wooden figure in the box. Cole folded up the rest of the mat and checked the time.

"Oh, no! We're going to be late!" Cole said. He threw the board game on his bed and then he took the map off of his dresser. "Come on, Zane!"

The boys rushed down the staircase, trying not to disturb any of the guards, then they ran to the kitchen, where Cher was impatiently tapping her foot. They stopped in front of her.

"Two minutes late," she said, slightly shaking her head, "oh well. Let's get a move on, boys."

She turned, and the two followed. They headed towards the maiden's quarters, where Cher silently tapped on the opposite wall in a pattern. The wall slid to the side, and they poured in.

The tunnel was dark, the walls coated with mold. The air was thick, with specks of dust floating everywhere.

Cole squinted as his eyes adjusted. The wall closed behind them, and Cher lit a torch, holding it up in front of them.

"We'll arrive at the prison within the next ten minutes or so. There may be an occasional guard or patrol, so be prepared to defend yourself." She stopped, then she turned towards them.

"None of the guards can find out that we're committing a crime against the king," she said, "so we need a non-lethal solution. A friend of mine made this," she distributed two bottles of yellow liquid, "it's a non-lethal medicine that will knock a man out." The boys took the bottles. "Just a drop on their skin should be enough to knock them out."

They nodded, and tucked the bottles away.

"Stay together and near me. Listen to me. Don't wander off. And don't hurt anyone unless they try to hurt you. Are we clear?"

They nodded.

"Alright. Let's get this party started."


	9. Breakout & A Battle

The fire flickering on the torch that Cher was carrying was the trio's only source of light. Occasionally, there was a crack in the concrete ceiling that allowed a bit if moonlight shine through. The narrow passageway seemed to get narrower as the group made their way to their destination. A few minutes later, they had to walk in a single file line, all of their shoulders scrunched up against the walls. Cher lead the way, and Cole brought up the rear.

Finally, the passageway widened up to the point where all three of them could walk side by side. No one said anything as they silently trudged along the dark hall.

Cher stopped abruptly, causing Zane, who had quick reflexes, to stop before he crashed into her. Cole, however, wasn't so highly-tuned with his reflexes, causing him to crash into Zane.

"I forgot to tell you guys something. Get out your maps." She said in a hushed and urgent tone. Cole fumbled around in his knapsack for the piece of paper. He pulled it out, then unfolded it, smoothing it out. Cher took it, then turned it.

"This is where we are now," she began, pointing to the long hallway. They had walked three quarters of it already, and when they got through the last quarter of the hallway, they'd end up in the southeastern section of the prison, "We need to get here," she pointed to a cell in the northwestern section. "That's where the old man is. There are going to be patrols here," she moved her finger to the southeastern section, where they would be entering. "Here," she pointed to the hallway west of the old man's cell, "and over here," she pointed to the hallway that curved right, into the hallway west of the cells.

"We'll need to find a key off of one of the guards, which should be no problem. We'll stick together, but if we get separated somehow, go over here," she gestured to the northeastern section. "There is another passageway here that will lead you to the northernmost part of the garden in the back of the Castle. Use this passageway only as a last resort." She inhalers deeply. "All right. Any questions?"

The boys shook their head.

"Okay. Let's move."

The last part of the passageway was a bit more physically challenging. The tunnel expanded into an abandoned storage warehouse, so the trio had to pick their way through rusted metal, unopened crates, and mounds and mounds of eye bobbed and weaved through cobwebs. Cole and Cher sneezed a few times due to the amount of dust floating around. It covered the crates and metals, and the floor. Each one of them were leaving footprints in the dust.

"You might want to come back here sometime," Cher said, "there could be something of value. You could sell some of these things. I am pretty sure some of this is worth a bunch of money. No one ever comes through here."

Cole nodded. "This looks important." He stopped at a crate. He wiped off some of the dust. In large, black print read:

"Property of the Queen"

Cole frowned. He tried to open it, but found it was locked. He grunted.

"Come on, Prince, we do not have a lot of time. We can dig around a little on the way back." Cher said.

Cole sighed, then reluctantly tore himself away from the chest.

"Sorry. That crate apparently belonged to my mother." He stated.

"Hmm..." Cher said, "interesting. I wonder if bandits know about this place."

"It appears that no one has visited this place for years," Zane said, "I don't see any footprints, and the level of dust here suggests that we're the first to pass through this area in years."

"I wonder if my father knows about it." Cole wondered aloud.

Zane picked up a tankard resting in a pile of other junk. It appeared to be in fairly good condition.

"Hm. This is made of pure gold. If the king knows about this place, then why doesn't he collect the valuable things and sell them? Or use them?" Zane asked.

"No," Cole answered, "all of this junk...it was what my mother owned. Before she died. My father got rid of everything she liked that was in the castle after she passed. This must've been where he stored it."

"I hate to interrupt," Cher intervened, "but we're almost to the prison."

"And why is this room next to the prison?" Zane asked.

Cher raised her hand, signaling them to be quiet. They silenced, then caught up to her.

"The prison is the hallway to the left. Follow me, and be prepared for battle." She whispered. "We get in, free the old man, then get out."

They nodded, then the trio quietly approached the left hallway. They snuck inside.

[ { } ]

"Okay, these troops are at the stream." Kai yelled. "Everyone, in the bunker! This isn't a drill!"

Nya grabbed Lloyd's hand, then Kai came up behind them and followed them to the trap door. Jay scurried to his workbench, where he gathered all of his blueprints and shoved them into his knapsack. He shut the metal door that lead to his lab and locked it. Misako followed him into the trap door.

When they were all inside, they closed and locked the trap door, then ran down to the bunker.

"Okay..." Misako said, "everyone's here, right?" The others responded with a nod.

Nya wLked over to the secondary computer and booted it up. Kai and Jay pushed on the large, bulky door. It slid over, closing the gap between the stairway and bunker. Jay locked it, then went to help Nya. Kai shuddered.

He heard a little sob. He looked over at the source. On one if the upper levels of the bunk beds, there was Lloyd, who was hiding under the blankets, trying and failing to conceal his sobs.

Kai climbed onto the bunk bed and sat next to him. Lloyd wrapped his little arms around his big brother's neck as Kai lifted the child onto his lap. He held his head and rocked him back and forth, whispering comforting things to him.

Over at the computer, Nya was biting her nails.

She pulled up the surveillance videos. There were cameras placed all around the forest they were in. Three of them showed that the troops were almost at the base.

Nya gasped. The guards were armed with iron maces, swords, bows and arrows...and...

...dynamite.

This wasn't another patrol...this wa about to become a bloodbath.

"The King wants us dead." She swiveled around to Kai. "They have dynamite. What do we do?!"

"We're going to fight back, if they find us" Kai responded. "How many?"

"Ten." Nya responded, "and they're way more heavily armed than we are."

Kai turned to Misako. "Take Lloyd and Nya to the passageway and get them out of here!"

Nya grabbe Kai's shoulder. "If you're fighting, I'm fighting."

He gritted his teeth. "No! I lost mom and dad already. I can't lose you, too!"

"Nya," Miskao said, "come with us. We'll need protection out there."

"Please, Nya," Kai said, "just go with them."

Nya sighed. "Okay. But be careful, both of you."

"You too, Nya." Her older brother took her hand. "No matter what happens...I love you, Nya. I love you so much. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you, too." She said.

"I love you, too, Kai!" Lloyd yelled through tears. He ran up to Kai and hugged him. Kai choked back his own tears and hugged both of his siblings back.

"Stay strong, guys. Stay determined. I love you two so much." He whispered.

"Come back to us in one piece, Kai." Nya whispered.

"I'll try." He responded. "Now go!"

The three turned and rushed to the hidden passageway, where they opened it and walked through, and the wall closed again.

Jay and Kai turned to the cameras. The squad of troopers was inside the headquarters, one of them opening the trap door.

Kai's fists were on fire, and Jay's hands were crackling with electricity.

They heard bangs and yells behind the door. They glanced at each other.

"Two against ten. I like these odds. Let's do this." Jay said. Kai nodded, and together, they opened the door.

Soldiers flooded in. Kai didn't hesitate. He shot flames out of his palm with a battle cry, lighting the room up in flames. One of the soldiers who had been stupid enough to barge in first was instantly charred.

Three soldiers cornered Jay. One leaped at him aggressively and slung a mace at his head. Jay ducked under the attacker, then popped out behind him, bringing his elbow down onto his head. The soldier collapsed. Jay was tackled from behind. He fell onto his attacker, who instantly righted himself, wrapping his arms around Jay's neck and pulling tightly. The third soldier helped the one choking Jay.

Jay focused his energy to his entire body, then released it, causing both attackers to get electrocuted to their deaths. They collapsed.

"FOUR DOWN, SIX TO GO!" Jay yelled.

Kai grunted as a trooper armed with a combat knife pushed him into the wall, his hands on Kai's neck. The attacker brought the knife up to Kai's throat, but Kai managed to bring his fist up to the knife. He grabbed the blade, then melted it with his fire. He pushed his attacker off of him, then sprayed fire on the man, burning him alive.

"FIVE DOWN, FIVE TO GO!" Kai yelled back.

Jay eyed a guard who was distracted by Kai. He took the opportunity and tackled him. The guard grunted. Jay cried out in pain when something sharp stabbed him in the ribs, causing him to fall over.

Another guard loomed over him, sword in hand, and the guard Jay had tackled stood up.

A blast of fire from behind sizzled them alive. Their charred corpses collapsed.

"Seven down, three to go." Kai said, extending hand to Jay. He winced when he sat up.

"I can't stand, but I'll try to help you as much as I can." Jay said. Kai turned back to the last remaining guards.

They cornered the two rebels.

"We're going backs with one of you, at least," one of the guards snarled.

"That's not happening." Kai smirked, then spread his legs apart, crossing his wrists over one another. He focused.

One of the guards held two venge stone collars. The third guard...wasn't a guard, but...

...a wizard. Just like Kai and Jay.

The wizard was hooded in lightly colored robes. Kai inhaled, raised his arms, then slammed them into the air, unleashing a mass amount of fire.

The two normal guards were instantly killed, but the wizard had summoned a ward to protect himself. Kai gasped silently.

The mysterious wizard raised the staff he was holding and jerked it in Kai's direction. Kai and Jay were blown harshly into the wall, skulls colliding with concrete.

The two moaned then collapsed, unconscious.

The wizard chuckled, then picked up the fallen venge stone collars. He placed one around each boy's neck, secured it, then made the next squad that arrived carry them back to the castle.

[ { } ]

Cher crouched down and stayed inside the shadows that the wall cast down upon them. She had discarded the torch outside. Slowly, they crept along the hallway until they heard voices.

Signalling the boys to stop, Cher craned her neck to get a better view. She turned to the boys, then whispered: "Two guards up ahead, 'round the corner. Cole, try to knock them out. I'll be right here if anything goes wrong."

Cole nodded, then crept over to where the guards were standing. He slowly took out his bottle of yellow fluid, then picked up a fallen rock on the ground to dab in the fluid. The guard, now inches away, shifted his weight. Cole hesitated, then lifted the rock to the patroller's exposed leg. He gently brought the rock to the guard's leg.

The fluid worked its magic and made the guard collapse.

"Woah, Bill, you okay?" The second guard asked. "Bill?"

When the second one bent down to check on the fallen guard, Cole lunged out and dabbed the second guard's exposed skin with the rock, making him collapse. Cole sighed in relief, then turned to Cher and Zane, who were coming to him.

"Nicely done," Cher complimented, "okay. Check and see if one of them has a key on them."

Zane bent down and checked both of the guards. Both of their pockets were empty.

"Okay. We'll have to steal one. Which one of you will steal it? You might have to pickpocket, if the need arises."

"I will. I'm more stealthy than him." Zane volunteered.

Cher chuckled. "Okay."

"Oh well, thanks," Cole said. A look of confusion spread across Zane's face, but was cut short when there was another voice, and a guard approached the group.

"Oh what...Cher...Prince..." He asked, his face twisting into confusion. "What are you doi-" he eyed the fallen guards. "Oh, what-"

Cole lunged again and tapped the guard with the poison rock, causing the guard to collapse on the ground. Cole searched his pockets again.

"No key." He responded.

"Okay. Now, let's be more careful than that." Cher said. They all crept down the hallway until they found hallway that would turn right into the hallway west of the cells.

Three guards walked down the hallway. The trio attacked at once, not thinking twice about it.

Cher pushed the first guard up against the wall, then pressed the tip of a stick she had found and dipped in the fluid to his chin. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Zane, however, dropped his bottle when his attacker attacked. It splattered all over the ground with a shrill ring. Cher rushed over to him, pressing her twig to the guard's neck, forcing him to also collapse. Cole easily knocked his opponent out.

"Okay. Not bad." Cher said. She glanced at the boys. "Come on. We're almost there." They quietly and quickly trotted over to the hallway.

Surprisingly, there wasn't a patrol in the area. They continued to the cells.

Here, there were five cells, two of which were empty. The trio rushed to the second cell, where an old man with a long and fabulous beard lay.

"Mister Wu? Sir?" Cher whispered, gesturing for the boys to look for the keys. They went to the cell guard's post, where the man lay asleep. Zane gently swiped the keys, then went to Wu's cell, handing Cher the keys. She unlocked the cage, then helped the old man up. He staggered, off-balance for a second, but regained his stability.

"Let's get you out of here," Cher said. Zane helped a her carry the old man, who wasn't responding to anything yet, and then they got the heck out of there.


	10. Happy Thoughts

**Gaaahhhh I haven't updated this in forever. It pisses me off! I'm sick of not being inspired! And, dammit, I know the ending of the chapter sucks, but you guys deserve something other than nothing!**

The twisting and windings tunnels of their escape route wasn't familiar to Nya. However, the gnawing fear in her chest was. The last time she had felt this compressing fear was when her parents had passed away. It clawed at her rib cage like a feral animal, making her chest feel tight and her stomach queasy. When she felt a little hand tug at the base of her dress, she glanced down to see the worried eyes of her younger brother staring up at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, an adorable creeping suspicion mixed with concern laced into his blood red eyes.

"Yes, pipsqueak. I'm just...thinking, is all." She stepped in front of him, then kneeled down, allowing him to climb onto her back. He looped his frail arms around her neck loosely as she looped her arms under his knees. She stood up again, then resumed walking.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck.

"She's worried, Lloyd." Mistake responded quietly.

"It's okay, Nya. I'm worried, too." He gave his big sister a peck on her cheek. No words could form on Nya's lips. He's eight winters old, he shouldn't have to worry about this! He should be somewhere safe, playing with his friends and going to school! She gritted her teeth, her hold around Lloyd's knees tightening. That fact alone made Nya's blood boil with fuming disgust and burning hatred for the king that ruled their land. Hatred for the king and his sick beliefs. Hatred for the sick man who claimed to be the best ruler of Ninjago yet. Hatred for the pathetic excuse of a man that stole away a beautiful sound from the citizens, who yearned so dearly for-

"Nya?" His little voice shook her out of the poisonous cage of thoughts she had locked herself in. Suppressing an annoyed sigh, she responded: "Yes?"

"I can tell by the look on your face that you're not thinking happy thoughts. Your cheeks get puffy and you frown a lot. Like this." He puffed out his cheeks and tried to frown, but it didn't work out so well. Nya giggled a little bit, then sighed. How could Lloyd always manage to see right through her fake mask of calmness that usually worked with other people? Nya nodded, feeling Lloyd squirming on her back, turning his head towards her.

"You always tell me to think happy thoughts." Nya could practically feel the gears turning in her little brother's mind.

Still, nothing spilled out from her mouth. No words came to mind, other than how she was a hypocritical failure who couldn't do anything right to save her life-

"Hey Nya?"

"Hm?"

"Think happy thoughts."

No one said anything after that, the trio just progressed through the grey tunnels in a thoughtful silence.

...

"An'...an' after that, 'e two g-guard..s...brough' 'em t' the dungeon, 'ere they suffered the...the fate tha' was comin' to 'em. One a' my bes' stories..." the King sighed, taking another sip out of his tankard, now a quarter of the way full with mead, which had been sweetened with extra honey. Just the way he liked his mead. King Lou sighed again, set the tankard down onto the birch table. He made wild gestures with his hands that were meant for the photograph in front of him. The photograph in front of him displayed a moment of a family, which consisted of a young woman in her mid-thirties, who held a small baby boy in her arms. Her hair long and dark like the midnight sky, eyes blue like the ocean, and wide, filled to the brim with an overflowing curiosity.

"I miss ya, sweetie..." he mumbled, trailing off.

"Um...sire?" The King's most trusted assistant poked his head of blonde hair through the door to the King's room.

The King responded with a slow nod, not even turning around. His gaze was locked on the photograph in front of him.

"I'm assuming you've had too much to drink, sir. Perhaps we should get you to bed...?" It came out more as a question than a comment, but it didn't matter because the King had already slumped over in his chair, unconscious. His snores echoed throughout the unnecessarily large room. The man stepped over to the King and hooked his arms through the King's, and he dragged him onto his bed. Once the King was settled, he began snoring, and the assistant, Jack, walked outside and gently closed the door behind him. The sentry's posture straightened, and they awaited orders.

"The King is...not feeling well at the moment. Take the prisoners to the dungeon, and I will notify the King of their capture as soon as he's feeling a bit better. You'll need the wizards to guard them, because those two are strong. Sentry Team seventeen, you are all dismissed."

...

Their hands were bound together with restraints made solely of pure vengestone that hadn't even been polished yet, similar to the collar they each were locked in. Two guards, both highly trained in wizardry from the College Of Winterhold, walked the prisoners to their respective cells, where they were separated and locked up.

...

"Oh my overlord, we actually did it! How did we do it?! Who cares, we did it! Against all odds, too!" Cole exclaimed. He hadn't stopped rambling about how he couldn't believe they had pulled off the rescue since they had brought the old man back to Cher's secret base. Cher was currently next to Wu, who was laying on the couch, waking up from his slumber. Zane sighed heavily.

"I do not believe the odds were so heavily stacked upon us. We did excellently." The boy in white chuckled a little.

"Of course we did!" He suddenly stopped, realizing the old man was awake. "Hey, do you think we should go talk to him and see if we can join the resistance?"

"We should let him rest first, as he may not be thinking clearly right now." Zane tilted his head a bit. "I wonder where his team is."

Cole suddenly stopped, his heart skipping a beat as realization dawned on the prince, "Oh, overlord! We have to get back to the castle!"

Zane's face widened in a mixture of horror and shock. "The other cooks will have my head if I'm not back! Let's go!" The two turned to face Cher.

"We have to get back before anyone suspects anything! Bye, Cher!" Cher only chuckled as the two darted out of her hidden base.

"Who was that?" The old man weakly asked, his voice scratchy and hoarse.

"Those are the two new recruits. They have great potential for the resistance, and they have big hearts." She smiled fondly, shaking her head a little.

The old man slightly chuckled, eyes lighting up a bit. "I cannot wait to meet them."

...

Cole and Zane jogged on the path that trailed through the woods that bordered Ninjago from other kingdoms. They had to be careful to watch for sentries from the neighboring kingdoms. Arguments could shoot up in an instant between the two kingdoms if the prince were to get captured or worse. But, luck was on their side today. The two made it back to the castle with good timing. Cole and Zane tried to help each other clean up their disheveled appearances as much as they could, but it didn't do much good.

"Sire! Are you alright? You look awful! Er...no offense intended."

"Are you okay, sire? There was a break-in last night. You are not injured, are you?"

"Oh, Prince! Where were you this morning? You missed breakfast!"

"Zane, we could have used you this morning in the kitchen! The king isn't feeling well, and we need our best cooks on duty!"

"Prince?! Are you feeling okay? What happened to you?"

"We missed you in the kitchen this morning, Zane! Are you alright? I've heard there was a break-in, but there weren't many details on what happened exactly..."

The questions seemed to be endless as Cole and Zane trekked through the halls of the castle, hallways twisting left, right, straight...everywhere. Guards were scurrying about, seemingly fretting over something. Cole tried not to smile, feeling satisfied at their frustrated expressions. Serves them right, after all, for helping out with the kingdom's pathetic excuse for a king.

"How did this happen? A few of our sentries were taken out last night! And, not only that, but a member of the resistance was freed! How is the king going to react to this?!" Cole and Zane tuned into a conversation of four guards who were standing in a circle, arms crossed and faces slightly pale.

"He'll punish us all until he finds out what happened. The sentries that were attacked don't remember anything!" The second one started.

"But they find a shattered vial of...something in one of the corridors. The guards still don't know what it is. Didn't Jack say they were sending the remnants to the royal scientist?" The first asked.

"Yeah. They sent what was left of the fluid to the scientist's lab. Who knows when we'll get results back..."

Cole and Zane snickered again, hiding their smiles behind their cupped hands. The pair separated and went their separate ways when they reached the kitchen. Zane gave a small wave, and Cole returned it. He turned to his bedroom. A shower sounded great right about now, if Cole was being honest. But where was Lou at? Cole frowned; it might be a better idea to shower and then confront his father. The prince sighed, working his way through the twisting hallways. The route to his room in mind, he navigated throughout the crowds of people, most of which greeted him or asked him a question. Was he injured? Cole didn't think so. Where was he this morning? Out for a walk, obviously. The black-head was relieved when he finally reached his room, shutting the unnecessarily massive doors behind him.

It was a bit colder in his beloved room than he would have liked; he rubbed the goosebumps that were appearing on his biceps and shivered. His bed had been re-made from his earlier depart, and there was no sign of his father. Excellent. He turned on the water, deciding to let it warm up before he stepped in just yet. Grabbing a fresh outfit, he set them on the foot of his bed before hopping in.

 **I keep forgetting how much I love this story. Once again, I'm sorry for the random hiatus; I'll try my best to update more often ;u;**


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